Paths to Forgiveness
by DeathAngel2015
Summary: They carried heartbreak, sadness, pain, hurt, and guilt for years. Both are at fault for what they have done to each other. When their paths cross, what will they say to each other? Can they forgive each other? Can they forgive themselves for all of the damage that was done? Can they make amends before a returning evil tries to take over the world again?
1. Chapter 1

_Drip...Drip...Drip...Drip..._ The drops and smell of whiskey woke him up. Pain throbbed in his head, signifying an incoming hangover. A tall, muscular body rolled over to the other side. It was empty. That was the fourth woman this week. No matter how many women he laid with, only one couldn't escape his mind, heart, and soul. His poor eyes looked at the alarm clock sitting on the dark red night stand. Blaring red numbers that said 7:34 yelled at the drunk to wake his ass up. Groaning in irritation, the man pulled off his comfortor and rubbed his head. Drinking his life away while getting laid on a weekday is definitely a horrible combination. The man rubbed his tired eyes as he walked to his bathroom to get a shower. Hot water poured on his body, making him feel relaxed. A slight memory flashed before his eyes. The woman he slept with last night, had the same short black hair and figure of his former lover. He slammed his fist against the wall.

"There's no one like her. No one..." A regretful sigh escaped his lips. Eight years worth of guilt suffocated his mind, making every thought drown into the deep dark crevices of his mind. How could he just...how could he...?

"Come on Stern, you need to get to work." Shutting off his water, the man named "Stern" rushed out of his bathroom while his brown hair dries. He stumbles over the empty bottles of alcohol, shoes, and clothes that could either be clean or dirty. He hurriedly puts on a white dress shirt that seems to be clean with a pair of dark navy dress pants and dress shoes. The rushing man quickly brushed his teeth as he tried to tie a dark blue tie around his neck. A loose scent of mint lingers in the air after Stern spits out the toothpaste.

"Got it!" A small celebratory fist went up in the air in victory when the tie was properly tied in its place.

 _Uh, thinkin' out loud, I must have a quarter million on me right now. Hard to make a song 'bout somethin' other than the money-_ "Hello?"

 _"Ulrich! Hurry your ass up! If we're late, I'm letting them eat your ass alive! Hurry the fuck up!"_

"Ugh, fine! Hold on!" Now his hangover is starting to really bother him. Ulrich grabbed his brief case, wallet, and keys as he rushes out of his apartment door. He hurried to the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. The elevator stopped on the right floor and finally opened its large grey doors. The man ran out of the glass double doors and ran to the parking lot, spotting a silver 2002 Toyota Camery. Ulrich immediately opened the door and got in.

"Damn! You always forget to shave don't you? You still look like you're hungover!" Ulrich couldn't help but roll his dark brown eyes. It wasn't his fault! It was the whiskey's fault! The whiskey clouded his judgement!

"It's not my fault Johnny." The driver rolled his eyes this time.

"And I'm sure it's never your fault. It's always the alcohol's fault." Johnny sighed as he turned the corner. "I'm not understanding how you're not in rehab from ingesting all of that liquor!" The former Lyoko Warrior chuckled as he felt a three o'clock shadow on his face.

"Probably because I know how to hold it all." After showing their badges, Johnny pulls into a crowded parking lot in front of a tall white building. The man with long blond hair and green eyes kills the engine and grabbed his brief case from the back. He opens it and grabs a small bottle of Aleve and a water bottle.

"I know you're not gonna be over that hangover anytime soon. Hurry up so that I won't get chewed out." Johnny got out of the car and sped walked his way to the revolving glass doors. Sighing to himself, Ulrich ingests the white pills filled with relief and washes them down with the cool bottle of water. His mind was tired, as well as his body. The former Lyoko Warrior hurried up and got his brief case and got out of the car. He had to hurry and get to his desk or else he'd end up getting the pink slip. Ulrich went through the revolving door and raced past the front desk. Two women in navy blazers and skirts tried not to stare in lust as the man briskly walked by.

"Late again Ulrich? Just exactly how much longer are you gonna continue to do this to yourself?" The brown-haired hunk abruptly stopped and turned to the women.

"As long as I don't get fired." He turned around and raced to the elevator filled with five other people. Ulrich barely got in and was glared at for almost knocking a few of the people down. He didn't pay them any mind as he punched in the button for the eighteenth floor. The elevator soon went up and stopped three times as one person got off on the third floor, two people got off on the sixth floor, and the last two people got off on the eighth floor. When the silver doors closed, Ulrich leaned back into the wall and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the last thirteen years. One day he was throwing his sabers in a Tarantula's head then the next he was having a massive argument with his ex-lover. His eyes cringed in self-hate and in anger.

"Why did it have to escalate like that? Where did I...Where did we go wrong?" Large droplets of salt water rolled down his cheeks as old memories passed by in his mind. Realizing that he was almost on his floor, Ulrich quickly wiped the tears and took a few deep breaths. He was on the job, and he couldn't cry like a little bitch unless he wanted to get laughed at by his other co-workers.

 _DING!_ Large silver doors open automatically before the hunk stepped off of the metal contraption. He quickly made it over to his snow white desk with a Mac computer sitting on top of it. Ulrich tried to sit down without making a fool out of himself, but failed when he fell out of his chair and spilled the large pile of papers on his desk. Several people around him either chuckled, laughed, or rolled their eyes in annoyance.

"Nice Stern! Would it kill you to _not_ wreck the workplace?" One co-worker with short auburn hair and gray eyes sipped his Earl Grey tea as he scoffed at Ulrich's clumsiness. The man with a three o'clock shadow narrowed his brown orbs.

"Hmph. For your information Simon, I don't try to wreck the place you smart-ass. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't be talking shit if the boss happens to know what you and that Brittney girl did in the break room on the east wing."

"OOOOHHHHH!" Every other co-worker couldn't help but laugh their asses off when Simon spits out his tea, almost burning his mouth. Blood rushed to his face in sheer and utter embarrassment, and it wasn't even ten a.m. yet. He quickly got up from his chair and speed-walks his way down the hallway, not caring that he bumped into a few people. Green eyes opened wide with amusement when they landed on Ulrich trying to get himself off of the ground while picking up the papers.

"How did you know that?!" A small chuckle escaped from his friend's lips.

"I didn't. That just came from the top of my head. I didn't think it'd be true." The racket calmed down a bit as the leader of the team came into view.

"It's barely ten in the morning, and yet you all start to act like hyenas! Get to work!" Everyone started to scramble like roaches and got back to their positions. "And Stern," Ulrich looked up with a stack of papers in his arm, "I need to speak with you now. Come to the office." After the leader left, the co-workers started to act childish again.

"Oooohhh...What are you getting called in for this time?"

"You think he's gonna let you go?" Brown irises rolled at the stupidity of these people that are acting like five year olds.

"Will you all shut up? I doubt that'll happen." Ulrich puts down the stack of papers and fixes his tie. He dusts himself off as he starts walking to the higher up's office. Before he could go further, he felt a tap on his shoulder. The former Lyoko Warrior turned around to see a silver flask in his face.

"Maybe you need a sip before you go in to calm your nerves." As much as Ulrich wanted just a tiny sip of alcohol, he had to pass it up.

"Sorry Johnny, but the medicine is still trying to kick in. We'll go drinking later." Nodding in understanding, Ulrich's friend walked back to his desk.

"Good luck champ!" Ulrich waved before going down the hall to the leader's office. The man with brown hair sighed as he walked past a few women wearing business attire. He heard them giggling about how amazing he looked. He could even feel their lusty stares undressing him. Ulrich tried to suppress a shudder. Sure he did sleep around with women from time to time, but he only did it because he tried to fill the empty void in his heart that was caused by _her_. He didn't want to sleep with any of the women in his company because he knew that they couldn't keep their mouths shut. And knowing that they were staring at him like he was a piece of meat was just plain creepy.

"Let's just get this over with so I can go home already." Ulrich took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He proceeded to walk in and stood in front of the dark oak wooden desk.

"Go ahead and have a seat Stern." The fine young man shrugged and plopped in the black leather seat.

"So, you must be wondering why I called you in?" The man in front of Ulrich arched his eye brow as he moved a loc from his face. His dark brown skin seemed to beckon for the sunlight to shine through and kiss it. He crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.

"Well, we have been trying to have a partnership with an interior designing company for a while, and we finally made a deal. We've been partnered up with Chiro Designs Inc.-"

"Seriously?! They're the most well-known company in the country!" The dark man chuckled.

"Of course they are! And we're lucky enough to get partnered up with them!"

"That's great! But, why did you call me in here?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about. You see, we need to have a representative that will engage with their executive officer about getting the certain furniture, supplies, and other materials that they will need for their designs. You'll basically discuss what kind of material is best for the furniture, which furniture is best for the establishment, and how much the items will cost all together. And since we're a providing company, it'll take a load off of their shoulders so they won't have to scramble to look for the materials and such." Ulrich was stunned.

"S-So you want me to represent the company and to work with the executive officer on different projects?!" The boss smiled and nodded.

"That's right! And this is basically a promotion for you. You're pretty much capable for this position since those idiots out there don't really show any responsibility for this establishment. It sometimes makes me wonder how this company is as strong as it is right now." After sighing and shaking his head, the man with dark skin and locs brought out a file from his desk.

"Okay. If you have any questions about your position, this file will give you all of the answers. And don't worry, you'll still be at the same desk with everyone. However, you'll be doing a lot of traveling while you're in this position. And before you ask, all of your traveling expenses will be paid for by Chiro Designs. So there's pretty much nothing to worry about. So I presume that you'll be taking this position?" The boss tried to suppress a hearty laugh when he saw his subordinate's face. Ulrich finally processed all of the information, but he suffered minor embarrassment when he realized that his mouth was wide open. He closed his gaping hole with teeth and a tongue and gave a nice smile.

"I'll gladly take this position!" After a short laugh, Ulrich's boss extended his hand.

"Then I'm glad you decided to take it! By the way, the executive officer is here today." The former Lyoko Warrior was taken aback by this sudden statement.

"Really? Already?" His boss nodded. A small noise was coming from a speaker sitting on the desk.

 _"Mr. Nashid, the executive officer of Chiro Designs is here to see you."_ Nashid pressed down on a small red button and spoke into the speaker.

"Go ahead and send them in."

 _"Yes sir."_ Mr. Nashid looked at his golden watch. The time read 11:15.

"Wow. Time flies by when you're talking about important things. Anyway, Stern. The executive will be up here in any minute. We'll do a small greeting with them and then we'll go off to lunch to discuss the final installments of the partnership." The man named "Stern" sat back in his chair and began to think. Who is this mysterious person? Is it a man or a woman? What would they look like? Would they be one of those stuck-up people that tramples everyone else to get their way?

 _Like a certain principle's daughter I know of._ The thought left him as soon as he heard a few knocks on the office door. Nashid rose from his seat and walked to the door. He opened it and greeted the person to step inside his office.

"We've been expecting you! Please come in! Mr. Stern, please introduce yourself." Swallowing a small lump in his throat, Ulrich stood up and walked to the duo.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ulrich Stern. It'll be my pleasure doing business with you-"

"Ishiyama." Time seemed to stop. That voice... _That voice_...That voice that always sounded like sweet chimes blowing in the wind. The same voice that always melted his ice cold heart. That same voice that would bring him to tears when he heard it tremble. The same voice intoxicated him when he heard his name being screamed in pure ecstasy. That same voice that shattered him completely when it was laced with the words: _I hate you_. It couldn't be... _It just couldn't be..._ After all of these long years of trying to forget that beautiful voice, it came back to haunt him once more. Ulrich's eyes widened when he saw a beautiful Japanese woman wearing a tight dark grey shirt with a deep black blazer and skirt. Her tall dark heels ensentuated the amazing long length of her legs. Even though her heels made her a bit taller, she was still an inch or two shorter than he was. Her silky, short ebony hair shined when the sun's rays touched the strands. The dark brown eyes that pierced his soul and left him broken stared at him in equal shock. The woman's delicate hand extended to Ulrich's extremity.

"My name is Yumi Ishiyama. It'll be an honor to work with you."

* * *

 **Welp! Here is my next story! All last week and this week, I've been deep in my nostalgia and I actually watched all four seasons of Code Lyoko in a few days xD. I have NO life xD. But, I really had this idea in my head for this story. Anyway, this is just the first chapter. I'll attempt to get started on my next one tomorrow because I need to sleep xD. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it! Please leave positive reviews and let me know if I made some grammar or spelling mistakes. Happy reading everyone! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Her fingers traced the chiseled muscles down his body. She felt him shudder in pleasure against her fingers. Smooth skin never felt so good under her finger tips. Her nervousness came back up again and she tried to pull her hands away. But her lover wouldn't have any of that. He grabbed her hands and delicately kissed her finger tips. Blood rushed to her face in arousal and embarrassment. She looked into his soft chocolate eyes and saw nothing but pure love and lust in them. She took one hand and let it roam in his soft, brown hair. A deep moan came from his throat as he felt her fingernails gently stroking his scalp. He placed his lips on her soft pair. She was drowning in ecstasy, and she loved it. She felt his strong hands gently push her body down onto his bed. She wanted to hide herself from embarrassment. She just wanted to hide her almost naked body from him. A small gasp escaped her lips when she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead. Strong fingers caressed her face, making her moan in pleasure. She lifts her hands to his face and holds it tenderly. She closed her eyes as she gently pulled him in. Their lips almost touched._

 _"Yumi..."_

 _"Ulri-"_

"Honey? Honey? Come on. We gotta get up. You gotta get to the Sujuho Supply Inc. soon. I'll make you some breakfast." A medium-deep pitched voice echoes in her ears. The woman moaned in irritation from being awakened from her good dream. Her face was hot with blood rushing to her face as she thought about her dream. Seeing his fiance blush, the man with short jet black hair and blue eyes shows a devious smile and dips his face in his fiance's neck. He kisses her flesh slowly, anticipating her reaction. As soon as she felt his lips, the woman with short black hair tried to mask her disgust with a fake moan of pleasure. Her mind wandered to the man in her previous dream and she began to imagine him kissing her neck instead. She was really turned on as her imagination of her former lover slowly kissed her skin, making her body melt. She felt his hands move slowly up her back, transmitting small electric shocks up her spine.

"Yumi..." Her eyes shot open when she heard her name. It wasn't _him_ that called her. Yumi quickly got up and rubbed her eyes. Her fiance started to laugh as he got off of the bed and started to get dressed. The Japanese woman couldn't help but grumble at the man's antics.

"Nigel! It's too early for games!" The man named "Nigel" finished putting on his casual gray suit with a gold tie and neatly brushed his hair. The man was extremely handsome, and every girl would throw themselves at his feet. But yet, he kept his eyes on her.

"Yumi, it's only nine o'clock. It's not that early." Nigel sprays some cologne on his chest and walks his way over to the king sized bed. He leans in and kisses Yumi on the cheek.

"Honey, it's time to get to work. I'll make you some breakfast and I'll meet you at the company. We need to get some things straightened out with our partnership with the other company before we start on that major project. I'll see you later." Nigel walks out of the master bedroom and goes down the spiraling marble staircase. After hearing the footsteps disappear, Yumi sighs as she slowly exists the bed and grabs her undergarments. She then walks to the bathroom and shuts the door.

Yumi's brown eyes looked around the bathroom. Everything was elegant. The designs of golden vines and golden leaves swirled on the cream walls, making the bathroom look like heaven. Yumi's feet walked on the cold marble floor, sending shivers up her spine with every step. She walks into the glass shower stall and sheds her clothing. Disgust rose from her stomach as she glared at the hot pink nightgown she forced herself to wear. Bright colors always made her cringe. The twenty-eight year old removed her underwear and turned on the faucet. Streams of hot water spurt out of the spray head, soothing her body. Yumi touched the back of her neck, and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she had that dream again. It's been too long since she's seen _him_. The frustrated woman puts her head on the wall and sighs in frustration.

"Why did I have that dream again? I shouldn't be doing that! I'm fucking engaged!" A small, dainty fist punches the wall in aggravation. Why was her ex-lover plaguing her mind? Now of all times? She gave up that relationship eight years ago. She's getting married next year! She's supposed to be happy! She's supposed to be excited! And yet...

"I feel like I'm forcing myself to ignore my heart and follow my guilt..." The horrible feeling wouldn't go away. Every day, for eight years, Yumi felt a huge weight on her shoulders. It was as if something or someone was telling her she was making the biggest mistake of her life. Frustration washed over her as the woman hurried to finish up her shower. Her dainty hand grabs a fluffy maroon towel from the towel rack near the door. A short frown graced her features when Yumi stared at the thick cloth.

"Even though I like maroon, I prefer black." The woman quickly dried herself as she walked towards the sink. She wrapped the towel around herself before she brushed her teeth. After spitting out the mint toothpaste, Yumi grabbed a gold blow-dryer and let the heat dry the strands. It didn't take long for her hair to get dry. The executive officer of Chiro Designs quickly puts on her undergarments and walks out the door. On the king sized bed, a suit that consisted of a navy blue blazer, skirt, and cream-colored silk shirt is laid out and perfectly ironed.

 _He must've done this before he left._ The former Lyoko Warrior sighed to herself. Yumi absolutely HATED wearing anything that wasn't black. She could tolerate a grey or a dark red color.

"This was nice of him to do, but there's no way in hell I'm wearing this." The twenty-eight year old walks to her walk-in closet and pulls out her suit that was already ironed and hanging on the rack. The blazer was a deep black color that was accompanied with a black skirt and grey top.

"Good think I always keep many of these in here." She quickly dresses and puts on her shiny black heels. Yumi walks over to the dresser and quickly brushes her hair. Brown eyes glance at a digital clock that read 10:12 a.m.

"Shit! I'm running late!" Yumi ran down the marble stairs and dashed into the kitchen. The scent of bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee filled her nostrils. The organ in her body grumbled in hunger, demanding her food.

"I don't have time to be wasting here." The woman in a black suit quickly grabbed an apple and water bottle from the refrigerator and high-tailed it out of the huge house with her keys. Doors of a 2014 black Bugatti Verona unlock when Yumi pressed a button. She hopped in the expensive car and backed out of the driveway. Yumi went near the gate and waved to the keeper.

"Morning Mr. Jameston!" The gate keeper that wore a navy blue uniform smiled and waved to his employer.

"Good morning Ms. Ishiyama! I hope you'll have a good day today!" He pressed a big red button and the gates slowly opened. Yumi puts the car in drive and speeds away. After driving for a few minutes, the beautiful driver touches a screen next to the wheel."

" _Aelita_ , I need the directions to the Sujuho Company from Mockingbird Avenue."

 _"My pleasure Ms. Ishiyama. Turn right onto Kirby Road and drive three miles."_ The twenty-eight year old smiled and continued to drive. She stopped at a stop light and took a small glance at the city. She never realized how beautiful the city is and how much it grew. Yumi looked to her right and slightly gasped in surprise.

"That old flower shop is now a coffee shop? Wow! I need to visit sometime." The light turned green and indicated Yumi to drive forward. The former Lyoko Warrior continued to drive in the directions that the GPS gave her. She soon reached a toll booth that had a worker on the post. She slowly drove up to the window.

"Um...Hello sir!" The chubby worker with a long black beard puts down his magazine and looks at Yumi with tired eyes.

"Lady, do you have a badge or not?" The Japanese woman was taken aback by the man's rude and dull tone.

"E-Excuse me?" The chubby worker rolled his eyes.

"Look lady. If you don't have a badge, you need to leave. Now get!" A small vein popped in the woman's head, starting to get bigger.

"Sir, I have an appointment with this company. Can you please let me through? I'm already late enough as it is!" Yumi tried not to yell at the man, but she was having a rough morning dealing with her sinful thoughts and insecurities. And yet, here she was getting ready to lose her mind over this fat guy that was too lazy to even ask who she was."

"Look you-"

"Roscow! Who are you talking to?! A booming voice made the fat guy and Yumi jump in their seats. A tall, bald man wearing a platinum suit and grey tie came from behind Roscow. His dark brown eyes furrowed in annoyance as he stared at his lazy co-worker.

"L-Lenny-"

"Lorenzo! And who are you bothering this time?" The man named "Lorenzo" looks outside of the window and gasps in shock.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry for his rudeness! Please come in right away! We've been expecting you!" Lenny pressed the button and the toll gate rose up. Yumi came out of her small stupor and proceeded to move forward. Roscow on the other hand had his mouth wide open.

"Why did you do that?! She doesn't even work here!"

"If you weren't so much of a lazy asshat, you could've just ask who she was! That woman is an important guest here at the company! You could've cost us a lot of shit if you drove her away!" Lorenzo quickly turns around and runs out. But before he left, the tall man glared at the lazy worker with fire in his eyes.

"I'll deal with your lazy ass later."

* * *

"I apologize about his rudeness Ms. Ishiyama. We usually have professionals in this establishment." The young woman couldn't help but giggle at the tall man for apologizing so much. She hasn't giggled like that for so long. Especially since she's been working at her fiance's company.

"Don't worry Mr. Lorenzo-"

"Please, call me Lenny."

"Okay. Well, Lenny, don't worry about it!" Sorrowful dark brown eyes were filled with embarrassment.

"But-"

"It's alright sir! Really!" Pearly whites shined brightly in the sun, easing the guilt off of Lorenzo's shoulders.

"Alright then. After you, Ms. Ishiyama." The tall man escorted Yumi into the large revolving doors and then followed behind her. After she got into the lobby, Lorenzo escorted his guest to the information desk. Two women wearing identical blue blazers and skirts with white dress shirts looked up as they heard footsteps approaching them. The first woman with natural hair with short curls and brown skin smiled kindly at the pair.

"Good morning! Welcome to the Sujuho Company! How can we help you?"

"Morning Tamela! We have a guest here with us this morning. This kind woman right here," Lorenzo extended his hand to Yumi, "is Ms. Yumi Ishiyama. She's the executive officer of Chiro Designs." Tamela's grey eyes widened in shock.

"You mean _the_ executive officer of the Chiro Designs Company?! Oh wow! It's an honor to meet you!" The informant stuck her hand out to Yumi in utter excitement. The former Lyoko Warrior returned the smile and handshake.

"It's nice to meet you as well Ms, Tamela! Please call me Yumi." Even though he liked to see the friendly interaction with the two women, Lenny had to end it.

"Tamela, I really hate to interrupt, but can you please inform Rafael that our guest is here? She's already late enough due to Roscow."

"You mean that tub of lard is still working here?! I thought we got rid of him weeks ago!" Tamela's co-worker with silver hair, tan skin, and burnt orange eyes yelled out loud while slamming a fashion magazine on the desk. Tamela couldn't help but face-palm at her friend's words while Lorenzo made a face. Poor Yumi was just so uncomfortable with the casualness of the workers' conversations in the establishment. Realizing the mistake, the woman with silver hair covered her mouth and blushed profusely.

"I apologize for that statement. Please forgive my rudeness. I'll inform Mr. Nashid right away." Tamela's co-worker then walked to the other side of the desk and punches in a number on the desk phone. She then holds the wired receiver to her ear and speaks into it.

"You'll have to forgive Misty. She's a really blunt person." A small sigh came from the natural-haired woman as she slightly remembered a few statements that Misty said a few years ago. Sure, they were truthful, but the words were really ugly. Yumi smiled again, remembering that she, herself, was also a blunt person.

"It's alright!" Tamela's friend soon came back to the front.

"Ms. Ishiyama, Mr. Nashid is expecting you." All three women smiled brightly at each other.

"Ms. Ishiyama, please follow me." Yumi nodded and started to follow Lorenzo to the silver elevators. But before she was able to get on the machine, the young executive officer briskly walked back to Tamela and Misty. She pulled out two business cards from her pocket.

"Contact me when you get the chance girls! And we can probably get a drink sometime!" Both women smiled and squealed a little as their new friend was making her way back to elevator.

"Have a nice day Yumi!" The heavy doors shut and the contraption started to go up.

"So, Ms. Ishiyama. If you don't mind me asking, when did you get this position?"

"Believe it or not, I've had this job since I was twenty-two." Dark brown eyes were the size of plates.

"Really?! Wow! And it took me almost ten years to get to my position!" A small laugh filled the enclosed chamber.

"But really, that's amazing! And it's also amazing that you and your company will want to work with us."

"Well, it's an honor to work with you as well."

 _Ding!_ A small chime indicates that the passengers made it to their destined floor. Few seconds pass by as the doors opened up. Lorenzo and Yumi stepped out of the elevator and saw a medium-sized work place. The walls were bright orange and the floors were a grey marble. All of the desks were white and had Mac Computers. The ceiling lights were on even though the sun's rays were filling the office. Everyone were either on their computers, their phones, walking around with files, or were just standing around and chatting.

"This way please." Lorenzo escorted his guest to a door with a criss-cross pattern glass. The letters on the door spelled out: Nashid.

"Huh?" Buzzing tickled Lorenzo's skin from his pants pocket. The man dressed in a silver suit took out his cell phone, reading an important message.

"Uh oh. With all due respect Ms. Ishiyama, I have to get to my appointment. Mr. Nashid should be in his office right now. Just knock on the door and he should answer. I hope to see you again!" Lorenzo shook Yumi's hand and then quickly walked away. Soon, Yumi felt many pairs of eyes on her. She absolutely hated being stared at like she's a new species of a creature. Shoving down her nerves, the Japanese woman gently knocks on the door a few times. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a nice-looking dark skinned man with purple eyes and long locs pulled together in a neat pony tail. Pearly whites shined in excitement.

"Good morning! You must be the executive officer! Please come in. My name is Rafael Nashid." The former Lyoko Warrior nodded and stepped in. She quickly and discreetly straightened her attire.

"We've been expecting you! Please come! Mr. Stern, please introduce yourself."

 _Stern? Why does that name sound so familiar?_

"Nice to meet you." _No._ "I'm Ulrich Stern-" _That's...That's impossible!_ She hadn't heard that rich, deep voice in years. That voice that always made her melt. That same voice that made her tremble in pleasure. The same voice that also broke her heart. And to top it all off was his name. The name of the man she hasn't heard from since their college days. The man that stole her heart when they both attended Kadic Academy. The same man that would put himself in harm's way just to save her life in Lyoko. The same man who took her in his arms and let her go afterwards. Her eyes widened as she saw the face of her ex-lover.

"Ishiyama. My name is Yumi Ishiyama. It'll be an honor to work with you."

* * *

 **Here I aaaaaammm! xD Hello to my fellow Angels! I'm apologize for not getting this chapter up last week. It was pretty much boring and I tend to procrastinate and lose my ideas when stuff gets boring as hell. I would have put this chapter up sooner, but the last two days were ABSOLUTE HELL. I had a stomach bug and I was just basically best friends with my toilet for two days Dx. It fucking sucked! My stomach just HATED ME! But I used much of yesterday to rest and recuperate. But at least this chapter is finished. Now I'll get started on the third chapter. Please leave positive reviews! Happy reading everyone! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

The world seemed to stop. Time evaporated into thin air. Both pairs of brown eyes stared at each other in disbelief. How did it come to this?

"Ahem. Uh, do you two know each other?" A familiar voice brings both parties out of their stupor. Ulrich was the first person to recover from the small staring contest.

"No. Not at all. I thought she looked like an old friend of mine." The man's cold tone made the temperature in the room go south, causing Rafael to shiver a little. Ulrich's ex-lover's chest stung from the harsh words. Rafael could feel some slight tension in the room, so he decided to clear his voice to break it up.

"Okay. So, Ms. Ishiyama, I'll escort you back to the garage. We'll meet at Olive Garden for lunch. We'll discuss the huge projects and such. I'll even pay for the food." Feeling numb, Yumi nodded and followed Mr. Nashid out the door. An ocean of feelings washed over Ulrich. He really didn't know what to feel at the moment. Was it shock? Anger? Excitement? Hurt? The man with brown hair felt his beard and clenched his fist. His jaw started to hurt from his teeth clenching together. It's a shame that he couldn't just go home and drown his sorrows in some spiced rum. He still had a lunch meeting to get to.

"Goddammit!" Ulrich threw his boss's door open and stomped to his desk. He threw the files in on his brief case and plopped down in his revolving chair. Never in his life did Ulrich want to pull out all of his hair out of frustration. At least, not since that one time when Yumi almost died from freezing in the blizzard made by X.A.N.A. Many pairs of eyes dawned on Ulrich's form, wondering why he's trying to make himself bald.

"Ricky? Ricky? What's wrong?" Ulrich's co-worker and friend walked over with concern in his eyes. Brown eyes are on fire as they looked to the man with blonde hair.

"Get the flash. I need the whole damn thing." Johnny knew that something was wrong if his friend asked for the whole flask instead of a sip or two.

"And I need your keys too." Green eyes frowned like an upset father.

"Dude, you can't be serious! You're not gonna-"

"I'm not an idiot! Of course I won't drink and drive at this hour! But I do need to borrow your car. I have to go to lunch with the boss man and that executive from Chiro Designs." Nodding in understanding, Johnny gets his car keys and black flask out of his brief case and hands them to his friend. The former Lyoko Warrior sighed and felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and checked the message that was sent by his boss.

 _We're going to the Olive Garden downtown. Hurry up. I already made reservations for us. You can't afford to be late. -Nashid_

Ulrich sighed deeply to himself as he threw his file and flask into his brief case and rushed to the elevator. The doors slowly open and he stepped inside. He pressed the button for the first floor. While the heavy contraption was going down, Ulrich threw his head back against the wall and tried not to scream his heart out. It's been too long since they've seen each other. After all, _she_ was the one that wanted to get away from him. And ever since Yumi left, things took a turn for the worst. She was the only person he could depend on. His friends were gone, busy trying to live their own lives. Some of the same shit that kept him up at night when he attended Kadic Academy started to make his life miserable again. So many things made him turn to pricey bottles filled with liquid that would intoxicate him into a blissful oblivion.

"Why me?" A hot sensation came from his eyelids, forcing Ulrich to breathe deeply so that the tears wouldn't fall. Memories of the past flash in his mind, almost suffocating him.

 _Ding!_ Ulrich's trip down memory lane was interrupted by the elevator's bell. He sniffed back his tears and rushed out of the building. As he went out of the revolving door, Ulrich failed to see the worry plastered on the informants' faces.

"Misty? Did you see that?" Tamela asked with great concern.

"I did. And Yumi tried to rush out of here before Mr. Nashid was able to get out of the elevator. You think something happened in between them?" Grey eyes looked down at the red container filled with a healthy summer salad. Tamela then looked at her friend.

"I know it's none of my business, but I have a feeling that those two have a really deep history."

* * *

Frustration was about to consume the man completely. He refuses to get caught up in the past again. Ulrich tried to contain himself as he parked Johnny's car in the parking lot of the Italian restaurant. Muscular hands straightened the brown hair on his head so that he could look more professional. Ulrich took several deep breaths and walked in the door. Luckily he didn't get in too late because his boss and ex-lover were about to be seated.

"I'm here."

"Yes, we can see that." Ulrich got a bit agitated when he heard Rafael's sarcastic response. Yumi kept her eyes to the waitress.

"Would you like a table or a booth?"

"Booth please." Both former Lyoko Warriors looked at Mr. Nashid like he was crazy. The waitress with bright blue hair and gold eyes escorted her customers to a nice booth near the window. Rafael escorted Yumi into the booth and then sat next to Ulrich on the other side. The waitress puts down the menus and takes out her notepad and pen.

"Good afternoon guys! My name is Serena and I'll be serving you today. Can I start you off with a drink?" The man with locs looked at the drinks on a separate menu.

"I'll have a Blue Moon draft." Serena wrote down the order and looked to Yumi.

"And you ma'am?"

 _That makes me feel so old!_ "Um...I'd like some water." The waitress nodded and then looked to Ulrich. She almost dropped her jaw when she saw the handsome man. His brown hair looked silky smooth. Rippling muscles teased her through the clothes. Serena just wanted to feel the man's three o'clock shadow through her fingertips. Realizing that she's staring at her customer, the waitress cleared her throat and tried to look like she still had some dignity left.

"And what about you sir?" Ulrich knew that he couldn't get wasted right now, especially since this was a business lunch.

"I'll have the Miller draft." Serena wrote down the order in a flash.

"Alright. I'll be back with your drinks in a minute." The blue-haired young woman scurried back to the kitchen. There was a small silence looming over the table. Clearing his throat, the dark skinned man opened up his brief case and brought out a tan file.

"So, today we're here to discuss the partnership of both companies and the year long projects of remodeling a few buildings. First, we need to sign this agreement stating that the Chiro Designs Incorporation and the Sujuho Supply Company are in partnership with each other and that the profit is split between the two is fifty-fifty." Ulrich's boss brought out a piece of paper with many words on it. He took out a black pen from his shirt pocket and handed it to Ulrich.

"Sign here please." Brown eyes looked at a long, thin black line. Knowing that he couldn't back out of this position, the former Lyoko Warrior sighed internally as he wrote his signature. He passes the pen to Yumi and turns the paper over. An electric shock flows through their fingertips when they touched. Luckily, Mr. Nashid didn't see the chemistry between the two. Recovering quickly, the woman named "Yumi" signed her name on the contract.

"All finished." Nodding in understanding, Rafael took the pen and contact from Yumi and placed it in his brief case. He then opens the file and takes out documents regarding to buildings that's going to be renovated.

"Ms. Ishiyama, can you please explain what we'll be doing for these projects?" Clearing her throat, Yumi presented a few pictures of several buildings.

"Mr. Nashid, Mr. Stern," Ulrich tried not to shudder with all his might, "we have been asked to refurnish a coffee shop, a kindergarten, an inn, and a banquet hall. Each building has been falling apart due to the old structures, vandalism, or from severe weather. Each building is going to be under construction for repairs. In the midst of doing so, the clients will resume their businesses in a temporary establishment."

"Here are your drinks!" A perky voice interrupted the business meeting between the three professionals. Serena placed a glass of ice water in front of Yumi, being careful of not wetting the important documents. The Japanese woman sorts some of the papers and places them on the side.

"Here's your Blue Moon draft." Delicate hands placed the frothing alcoholic drink in front of the man with locs.

"Thank you." Gold eyes then slid over to Ulrich's frame. Calming her nerves and raging hormones, Serena puts down the tall, cool glass of beer in front of the rugged-looking business man.

"And here's your Miller draft."

"Thanks." Trying not to giggle like a little girl, Serena pulled out her notebook and pen.

"Can I get you something to start with?" The customers looked to each other in agreement. Nashid looked up at his server.

"We'll have breadsticks for now."

"Do you want any sauces?" Ulrich took a sip of his beer while he looked through the small menu with appetizers.

"I'd like some garlic sauce please." Stars shined in Serena's eyes as she wrote down the handsome man's order.

"Can I have some marinara sauce?" The waitress came out of her short fantasy when she heard Yumi asking for a sauce. She tried really hard ot to roll her eyes at the Japanese woman.

"Sure. I'll be right back." Serena walked away with a sickly-sugary voice. Rafael didn't seem to notice the tone in the waitress's voice, but Ulrich and Yumi were agitated by it since they've heard the same kind of tone from a certain spoiled brat they went to school with. Shaking off the distraction, Ulrich's ex-lover brought the important documents back to the middle of the table.

"As I was saying, while the respective owners are running their business in a temporary establishment, we will be focusing on ordering the client's ideal furniture. While at the same time, we'll make sure that the furniture fits the environment. We will also have to stay within the range of the client's budget." Yumi handed Ulrich a few papers, each one were copies of the lease, requests, and budgets. Brown eyes skimmed through the papers as the owner took another sip of his beer.

"And how long are we supposed to work on these projects?"

"A year-" Both Ulrich and his boss choked on a piece of garlic bread.

"Each?!"

"No! No! I mean we'll be doing these projects all at the same time and they'll be finished within a year." The woman frantically waved her hands to try to clear up the small misunderstanding. Both men sitting on the other side sighed in relief. A _clink_ on the table made three heads turn to the source.

"Here's your garlic sauce sir!" Serena came back with a mouth full of pearly whites. Not taking her eyes off of Ulrich, the waitress carelessly slams down the red sauce, almost spilling it over the important documents.

"And here's your sauce." Agitation was written all over Yumi's face, taking away her usual poised expression.

"Thanks."

"So, are we all ready to order?" The three customers were so busy trying to get business done, they didn't even think about glancing at the menu.

"What are the lunch specials for the day?" asked Rafael. The blue-haired waitress took out a different notepad that held different specials from the menu.

"For lunch, today's specials are the Seafood Alfredo accompanied with Zuppa Toscana, spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs with Minestrone, and the Chicken Parmigiana with Chicken Gnocchi. All three specials are $7.99 each."

"Wow. All of them sound really good right now. I'll take the Seafood Alfredo with the Zuppa Toscana. How about you two?" Rafael looked to Yumi and Ulrich while taking a sip of his Blue Moon draft.

"I'll take the Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs and the Minestrone. And can I get another Miller draft?" Serena almost melted in a puddle just from hearing Ulrich's voice.

"And I'll have the Chicken Parmigiana with the Chicken Gnocchi please." Despite the executive officer's brilliant poker face, her tone in her voice made the waitress get out of her fantasy.

"A-Alright. I'll bring back the Miller draft. Do you guys want anymore breadsticks?"

"No thanks. We're fine." Serena took the hint from Yumi's curt voice. She stopped staring at Ulrich and walked back to the kitchen.

"Anyway, these projects will be finished within a year. I'm pushing towards finishing all of the projects by June sixteenth." Even though he heard the words. Yumi's ex-lover was thinking back to a distant memory.

* * *

 _"Come on! We've got more important things to do!" A teenage boy with spikey blonde hair and a huge purple spot on the front exclaimed while rubbing his rumbling stomach. His purple and pink long-sleeved jacket and shirt traveled to the sky as he lifts his arms to stretch. After all, using the morning with no classes for going to Lyoko to gather more data about Franz Hopper made his stomach empty._

 _"Like what Odd?" Ulrich couldn't help but ask with sarcasm as he, Odd, and two other friends got onto the elevator._

 _"Meatballs and gravy!"_

* * *

A small chuckle traveled out of Ulrich's throat as he remembered "Odd the Magnificent" always exclaiming that he's ready to eat his favorite meal, meatballs and gravy. Noticing his subordinate's sudden change in his demeanor, the man with dark skin and locs slightly nudges him.

"Ulrich? What seems to be a little humorous right now?" The brown haired man gulped a little, realizing that he got caught.

"Sorry. I was just remembering something." Curiosity got to Rafael since he doesn't really know anything about Ulrich's past life.

"Really? What was it?"

"Well...when I was at Kadic Academy, a friend of mine who calls himself 'Odd the Magnificent' was always looking forward to having meatballs. It didn't matter if it was meatballs in spaghetti, chicken meatballs, or just meatballs in general. He eats so much, he'd literally eat all of the meatballs here!"

" _Pfft!_ Wait. He actually called himself 'Odd the Magnificent'? Isn't that your one goofy friend that tried to flirt with Nikki and spilled coffee all over her?" Both Rafael and Ulrich started to laugh as they recalled the incident that happened when they were at the office a few years ago.

"I think the name 'Odd the Oddball' is a much more suited name for him!" While the men seemed to have a good time, Yumi felt horribly alone. She knew who they were talking about, and she felt out of the loop. Years of loneliness and longing for her friends creeped back up on her. The twenty-eight year old mentally slapped herself.

 _What am I thinking? I've got the other two girls...sort of..._ The two laughing men finally calmed down and picked up some of the papers.

"Wow! So we'll be renovating a coffee shop here, a kindergarten on the other side of the country, an inn in Japan, and the Hampton Banquet Hall?! That's a lot of traveling we'll be doing!" Ulrich's eyes were the size of large plates when he read the locations of where each building was located.

"That's right! And we'll be traveling in different places all over the world and find the right furniture that our clients requested or is similar to it." Yumi took a sip of her water to wash down her appetizer. Rafael looked intently at the information about the banquet hall.

"Ms. Ishiyama? I'm quite curious of why we should finish the Hampton Hall before June thirtieth?." Brown irises somewhat widen and then soften. Ulrich looked at Yumi's face and saw content and...regret?

"Well, you caught me Mr. Nashid. The reason why I want the banquet hall finished before June thirtieth is because-" The next words made Ulrich's stomach drop, his heart stop, and his mind spinning. It made his soul writhe in agony and the world crumble under his feet.

"I'm getting married on that day."

* * *

 **FUCK YEAH I'M BACK! At least for now xD. I'm really sorry for the late update guys. I not only was a lazy ass and rather watched Code Lyoko all fucking day long, but I did have writer's block. It was hard to even come up with a whole new line! I also had to go back and fix some inconsistency errors before I started typing. At first, there was only gonna be one building to be renovated and it was huge. The building is a half-sphere shape on the outside and it was supposed to have at least six floors. It was gonna be a place to hold extravagant galas and parties, but I think I was thinking a bit too far and didn't get to where I wanted to be. So instead, I changed it to have four buildings renovated. It's a lot more easier and I can kinda focus on the specifics of the buildings. Also, at first, I was gonna have the restaurant be at Ruby Tuesdays, but I ended up saying Olive Garden on impulse. So I had to do some research on the menu at Olive Garden (mainly because it varies at different locations). And of course I had to think back to plenty of episodes of Odd saying how he's ready to eat meatballs and gravy xD. And please don't kill me about Yumi! I mean, the Angels (readers) know that Yumi's engaged, but not Ulrich himself. Man! Shit's about to get deep as hell xD. I'll try to update soon! Happy reading everyone! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Liquid burned his throat as he downed the black flask filled with spiced rum. The words from earlier tore his heart strings. Never in his life did he want to fall into the Digital Sea and disappear forever. Her voice haunted him in his mind, and it's only been a few hours.

* * *

 _"I'm getting married on that day." A pair of dark brown eyes were the size of plates. His stomach dropped to the floor as his spirit left his body._

 _"Wow! Congratulations Ms. Ishiyama! That's amazing news! If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been engaged?" The Japanese woman took a small sip of her water as she gave all of her attention to the man with dark skin and long locs._

 _"I've been engaged for about three years."_

 _"But why the long wait?"_

 _"Well…With me being the executive officer, I'm always busy with different clients and handling other projects in between." While Rafael was excited for Yumi, his subordinate didn't know what to feel. Emotions went rampant, making Ulrich feel sick to his stomach._

 _"Here are your orders!" A chirpy voice interrupted the conversation as the golden-eyed waitress brought the meals. She carefully places the hot dishes in front of the customers._

 _"Oh! Thank you Serena! I'm starved!" The waitress showed off her pearly whites to Ulrich, but was disappointed when he didn't spare her a glance._

 _"You're welcome! I'll be back later to check on you." Feeling a bit dejected, the blue-haired young woman walked back to the kitchen. Rafael took a bite of his lunch and savored the flavor._

 _"Ulrich? Are you okay?" The former Lyoko Warrior came out of his stupor and tried to look like he had some dignity left._

 _"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was just thinking about something." Yumi's curiosity took over her as she daintily slurped her soup._

 _"Really? What about?" Brown eyes looked away._

 _"Nothing important." Despite losing his appetite and a bit of his sanity, Ulrich proceeded to eat his meal. His ears went deaf to the conversation that his boss and his ex-lover were having while his mind shrank away in darkness._

* * *

Ulrich always hated feeling weak. He's supposed to be a strong man. Especially since he had to learn how to cope after all these years.

 _Wait a minute…Why am I pissed that she's getting married?! What does her getting married have anything to do with me?_ Ulrich shook his head after he swallowed some more of his liquor.

"What we had is history. Nothing else." The man puts the black flask down on the night-stand and sighed. He got up and walked to— _THUD!_

"Ow…" Ulrich rubbed his head and his foot in pain. He seriously needs to clean his apartment one day. He kicked the empty liquor bottle out of his way and marched to the bathroom. He did his business and looked in the mirror.

"I need to add shaving to the list as well." The man with brown hair sighed to himself. He just couldn't understand what he felt. Wounds from the past are becoming bigger and bigger, causing a lot of more stress and pain to his heart. It's been hard for the poor guy during the last few years. The only thing that would sustain some of his sanity is an expensive liquor bottle. The warm water stopped flowing in the sink when Ulrich turned off the faucet. He took some pain meds to soothe is incoming headache.

"And I have to see her almost every day for a whole year until she gets married? This is gonna be one hell of a ride."

* * *

"Yumi? Are you okay?" Blue eyes soften in concern as the twenty-eight year old stared intently at her food. Shrimp Alfredo served on an expensive late would've shriveled in fear if it was alive. Yumi sighed in exhaustion and irritation.

"Nigel, it's nothing. I just…I'm just not too hungry right now. And I had a really long day as well." The man with short black hair became upset that he couldn't figure out why his soon-to-be-wife was acting this way.

"Was it because of the person you met today?" The Japanese woman tried not to cringe.

"I'd rather not talk about it. I'm going to bed." Yumi hopped off of her fancy leather chair and walked to the spiral stair-case. Nigel sighed and continued to eat his dinner, still worrying about his fiancé.

"Why am I so irritated right now? This isn't like me!" The young woman lightly smacked her forehead. She didn't understand what she was feeling, much less understanding it. She sheds her work clothes and grabs a silky dark blue nightgown from her dresser.

 _Fly away with me!_ "Hello?"

 _"Well, it's been a while, hasn't it sis?"_ A warm smile graced Yumi's face.

"Hiroki! You know, despite the fact that you've gotten older, you're still a snot-nosed brat." The woman could see her brother playfully spitting his tongue at her.

 _"Whatever. Anyway, how's everything going?"_

"Oh nothing! **Nothing too exciting at the moment."**

 _"You're lying."_ Yumi was taken aback by her younger sibling's observation.

"What? No I'm not!"

 _ **"Yes you are! Every time you start lying, you stop speaking English and you start speaking in Japanese!"**_ Blood rushed to the woman's face, realizing that she's been caught.

 _ **"Now tell me, what's wrong sis?"**_ Hiroki asked in Japanese. Ever since he was five, Hiroki was always worried about his sister. Sure, she seemed strong, but he knew that when her room door closed, he heard faint sniffles. Hiroki wasn't stupid either. He could see the blatant chemistry between Ulrich and Yumi. Hell, he even said so plenty of times! But he knew that something went wrong when Yumi decided to go back to Japan. His worst fear came true when he saw that little pretty boy se brought home.

 **"Nothing is wrong, okay?"**

 _ **"Is it because of that guy?! I swear if he did something to you, I'll—"**_

 **"He's not doing anything to me Hiroki! Quit trying to blame him for stuff he didn't do!"** At this point, both siblings were screaming at each other through the communicating device.

 _ **"Yumi, that guy is not for you at all. Why won't you listen to me?!"**_

 **"It's because you have no right to tell me who I can be with! You have no reason to say anything about my love-life! I'm marrying him because I love him!"**

 _ **"Or are you marrying him to cope and replace—"**_

 **"Shut the hell up! I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Call me next time when you're not busing slandering my fiancé for no reason. Goodnight."** _Beep!_ Hiroki's older sister threw the phone down and plopped on the bed. It was very exhausting having to keep telling her brother to stop harassing the man she's going to marry.

 _Besides, what does_ he _even know about that?_ A strong headache forced Yumi to go to the bathroom and take some aspirin. She sighed after swallowing the cool, refreshing liquid. Climbing in the bed, Yumi's mind started to wander in different directions. How will this whole partnership with the company work out? Will she be able to keep a level-head while she's working with her ex? How would her fiancé react if she told him?

"This is gonna be one hell of a year."

* * *

He stared at the phone while the dial tone echoed in the room. The young adult sighed in frustration as he ran his hand through his black hair. He knew his sister was stubborn, but damn! He knows it's not in his place, but all he wanted to do was protect his sister and make her happy.

"Ugh. Now I have a headache." The twenty-three year old closed his black book of designs and grabbed his keys. He got out of his spinning chair and walked to the nearest elevator. A tall brunette wearing a peach-colored dress walked to the elevator while putting on a dark red summer jacket.

"Ready to turn in Hiroki?" The young Japanese man nodded and yawned.

"Yup. Especially since it's not easy being a rookie on the job." Heavy doors open and the two passengers stepped inside.

"Hiroki? What's wrong?"

"Uh…Nothing's wrong Lindsey. What makes you say that?"

"You look really down about something. What is it?" Hiroki sighed and rubbed his face.

"Nothing really. Just another argument with my sister."

"Are you sure about that?" Yumi's younger sibling wasn't even sure about that himself.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."

* * *

 _Smoke was rising everywhere. The heat was too intense, making buckets of water run down his body. His lungs suffocated with every heavy breath. Black irises stared at the figure with malice. His outfit was torn to shreds, showing off the many lacerations and deep cuts that leaked with blood. The city was on fire, painting the picture of what Hell looks like on earth. Innocent and lifeless corpses littered the ground after they were brutally tortured by the monsters sent by the Devil himself._

 _"My, my…You'd rather die trying to weaken me than to just die for my satisfaction? I am highly amused." The tall, dark figure merely flicked his wrist and two flying monsters appeared behind the exhausted warrior._

 _"AHH!" Pain forcefully pushed its fist into the man's back, causing him to fall flat on his face. The dark figure laughed and laughed and laughed. A sickening sound entered the warrior's ears and made him clench his head in agony._

 _"Why are you doing this?!" A dark robe entered his vision as the young male was forcefully snatched up by his spikey blond hair. A sickening pale face adorned a hideous smile, filled with razor sharp knives for teeth._

 _"It's really simple you fool." Black irises looked into the eyes of the oppressor and widened absolute fear. A symbol that he hasn't seen in years flashed in the white sclerosis of the horrid murderer._

 _"To finally get rid of you." A large hand with long and black fingernails impaled the weak body, causing the victim to scream in total agony. Blood choked the young man as it tried to escape from his throat and entered into his lungs. His screams fell on deaf ears since everyone else fell victim to the villain's attack. A wicked laugh laced with venom from a spider filled the air as the hand pulled—_

* * *

"NO!" He jolted awake from that horrid nightmare. Sweat soaked his clothes and the bed sheets as the twenty-eight year old tried to calm his beating heart. That nightmare seemed so real.

"Daddy? Are you okay?" A sweet little voice instantly calmed his nerves as a little girl came into the room holding her stuffed bunny. Her little nightgown with stars swayed with every step she made. The little girl's father ran his fingers through his blond hair as his lungs took in the air that conveniently left him in his time of need.

"Did I wake you Alana? I'm sorry if I did." The little girl with pretty dark skin and black irises walked over to her father and climbed into his bed. Alana set her favorite toy down and gave her daddy a hug.

"Did you have a bad dream daddy?" The man sighed as he held his daughter tightly in his arms.

"Odd? Are you okay?" The man's wife came in after hearing her husband scream his heart out. Her hands were still wet, indicating that she was doing the dishes before she rushed into the room.

"Don't worry. I'm fine Samantha. Really, I am." The woman with dark skin didn't buy her husband's flimsy excuse. Realizing that his wife isn't believing him, Odd got out of the bed while holding his daughter and hugged his wife. The former Lyoko Warrior was satisfied when he felt Samantha relaxing in his arm.

"I'm okay. It was just a nightmare." As soon as he said those words, Odd's stomach began to beg for attention. Alana couldn't help but laugh at her daddy's stomach. The girl's mother on the other hand simply rolled her eyes in slight annoyance.

"You just had to get hungry from having a nightmare. Well, since we're up, I'll make us some sandwiches. Is that alright with you?" Odd shook his head in agreement and puts down his little girl.

"Daddy? Can you get Snowflake please?" Alana's father quickly walked back to the bed and gave the stuffed bunny to Alana.

"Alright! On to the kitchen! You two go ahead and I'll change into something dry." Both mother and daughter walked down the hallway and out of sight. After hearing their footsteps disappear, Odd placed his hand on the wall to balance himself while he tried to keep his sanity. He knew damn well that it wasn't a nightmare. The familiar sign in the figure's eyes. He knew that sign too well. His eyes widened in absolute fear for his family, his friends, and his planet.

"That was no nightmare. That's a premonition."

* * *

 **I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! At least for the moment xD. How are my lovely Angels doing? I know it's been a while since I updated. But of course, I can't really do much since I'm in college and homework has to come first. That and sometimes I just have a really hard time getting my inspiration for the next chapter. To be honest, I actually made the bulk of this chapter two months ago when my brother went to the other side of the country for a month and my mom went to practice. I was in the midst of watching Nick Cannon's new season of "Wild'n Out". I kept writing and writing and then I just stopped for some reason. I actually just finished this story about ten minutes ago. I added everything else from Odd's premonition/nightmare tonight. But other then that, it's what I have for the moment. But, I'm in the midst of creating a new chapter of a story with my lovely partner, suicuneluvr. It's almost finished, but I'm trying to perfect it so I can send it to her. Along with this new chapter I created, I'm gonna work on a new story for Kazuya and Jun from the Tekken franchise. I actually like them as a couple. And I'll also bring my other stories from Deviantart onto this site so that everyone else can read them. But I will be finishing the rest of my homework first before I do all of that xD. And hopefully I can get a little bit of sleep since I'm typing this at 4 in the morning right now xD.**

 **By the way, for those that were confused by Yumi's dialogue with her little brother, I put their dialogues in bold in order to let you guys know that they're speaking in Japanese. Even though I'm trying to learn the language, I'm not gonna put random words down and other readers won't know what I'm talking about. I just wanted to make that point.**

 **Anyway, I hope my Angels enjoy this chapter and look forward to reading a new story and several other old pieces as well. Stay warm and happy reading everyone! :)**


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